Monday, July 31, 2017

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink line on Bienfang for mixed media done weekend before last, a small one I painted for the Miniatures forum on WetCanvas. Photo ref courtesy Virginia. These gaillardia wildflowers are one of my favorites and they were blooming when I was doing this one in the moutains.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

16x20 torn paper collage on wrapped canvas completed today after two days of working on it. Another in my funky contemporary cow series, this black & white cow seems to be eyeing a bird close by. This is my first collage featuring a cow. After the sides are done, I will apply gloss medium varnish several times to seal it and make it shiny.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Saturday, July 29, 2017

6x5.5 alcohol inks on paper done a few days ago, and is actually a big mistake as I'd spilled dark ink on paper. Adding blending solution to that, pink began showing so I put Willow green down and then the red last. Resembling a cabbage this vignette abstraction could actually be anything or nothing.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Friday, July 28, 2017

4.25x6 acrylics and black India ink over failed work (see below). I
pencil sketched the heron's head within minutes, then started with
India ink doing only the black parts. Then I switched to acrylics to
finish him within an hour for the WetCanvas weekend drawing event challenge. Participants have only 2 hours to select an image and paint it; part of host Susan's challenge was to do a postcard size then mail it. Now to see who might want this...

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

9x12 alcohol inks on paper done partly yesterday and finished today; also I added black India ink for the darkest dark. Blending solution was dripped onto the black area to cause separation and this can be seen clearer if you click on the image. I scattered 91% alcohol droplets all over to indicate water bubbles. No reference was used or any drawing for this abstract that reminds me of seaweed or kelp underwater. Here I've used 4 different green inks: Willow, Botanical, Lime, and Forest.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

5.5x8.5 ink on Bienfang for mixed media sketchbook done a few days ago as part of a WetCanvas challenge in Animals forum. With Tombow brush pen I first put in darkest darks then added water with a script liner brush to create greys; white is the white of the paper as you do in watercolor.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Monday, July 24, 2017

9x12 watercolor using brush only of a southwestern style house down the street in New Mexico. With its red tile roof and surround pines, spruce and evergreen trees, it is very attractive. This house portrait shows its white stucco well against the surrounding landscape.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Saturday, July 22, 2017

3.5x2.5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, an artist card, or ACEO (art cards editions & originals) done recently, a close up view of flowers outside a window. This is an imaginary creation and is a Kay Smith original. Splattering with orange gouache was done last. These tiny miniatures are still popular and can be traded amongst artists worldwide or put on the market as I am doing.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Friday, July 21, 2017

6x8 watercolor and ink line using Faber Castell Pitt XS pen on Stillman & Birn Zeta series sketchbook done over the weekend for a WetCanvas Weekend Drawing Event. Photo courtesy Maureen Whittaker. Participants have 2 hours to choose an image from 10 given and paint their creation...since I had been on a no-dessert kick, this cream cheese icing on a fresh carrot cake beckoned my taste-buds and brushes.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

9x12 watermedia on Canson 140 lb cold press paper I'd used as a backing sheet for larger works that had acrylics, watercolor, and ink on it. The abandoned Volkswagen and another junked car are seen sitting side by side, not in traffic anymore, but in the eerie silence of a wooded area. I used orange and yellow Brusho watercolor crystals, watercolor, gouache, and white gel pen. The pink streaks were from Montana marker lines from a recent work. Photo courtesy Belle Schooler, and is one of our summer challenge images Big Spring Art Association is doing currently, posting on social media. In the photo, the front hood of a car was a pale gold, but I've made it a soft cobalt blue to complement the yellow orange bug.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Tuesday, July 18, 2017

6.25x14.75 acrylics on matboard done recently as a WetCanvas challenge. For July, participants had to do the following:

1. Work only in acrylic
2. Use non-dominant hand
3. Must be a bucolic landscape

Since I don't use that media much and detest landscapes, it sounded like a fun project to have ready by the 21st. I'm ambidextrous so no problem there. My photos were not too exciting, so this southwest scene is entirely imaginary and I used Derivan Matisse matte paint, Liquitex, and Basics brands of paint along with a 1" bristle flat brush done left-handed.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Sunday, July 16, 2017

6x9 watercolor of a friend's donkey that is part of Big Spring Art Association's summer challenge. A group of us shared ref photos to complete before we meet again in September, and so far I've only done two.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Friday, July 14, 2017

8.5x5.5 mixed media collage on Bienfang sketchbook finished today. Yesterday I began sketching Frida using black Tombow brush pen and then added water for a monochromatic image as was working with only a black & white photo. Color was needed as was collage indicative of the colorful artist she was. Yellow Montana acrylic marker made up the background; watercolor and gouache used on her face and neck. Since I had her nose too long I simply collaged layers of white tissue paper w/ matte medium over that area then repainted when dry.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

6x8 ink sketch done in under 10 minutes last week of a hen that I have made look worried sick. It is on Stillman & Birn Zeta series sketchbook using Faber Castell Pitt pen XS, black ink. Next watercolor was added for this mother and baby chicks farm animals scene. It is called obligatory because with each WetCanvas weekend drawing event, it seems there must be a chicken included in the photo images.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

22x30 acrylics and wax crayon on watercolor paper 140 lb cold press, a recent redo of a former version that did not quite make the cut, or cud in this case. I added red to the background buildings to indicate barns and a turquoise for the sky. Eye colors were changed for these three comical clowns of the barnyard contemporary cows work.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

6x9 watercolor of another artist's cat she photographed in Bali by a burial area. The cat reminded me of one I had named Roger who was so sweet. This is on Canson 140 lb cold press paper/Daniel Smith paints.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Monday, July 10, 2017

5x7 mixed media collage on book text done a few days ago as part of another wacky challenge presented in a WetCanvas forum. We were only told to do trees using mixed media, no references or guides of any kind. I chose to make mine imaginary using alcohol ink blots on a brown Wendy's napkin, adhering with matte medium onto a discarded book page. Trunks and branches were sketched in using Micron 01/03 pens, then filled in with Koh-I-Noor Magic pencils, a colored pencil made up of 3-4 different colors.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Sunday, July 9, 2017

12x9 watercolor and ink line using Micron 01 pen on Bristol 100 lb board done yesterday. Ref courtesy madmum of WetCanvas. I have cropped original photo editing out the right side of more cherries and table top. The ink version I put on July pen & ink challenge forum. Since life is just a bowl of cherries this one just fit. I love the reflections in the white bowl.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Saturday, July 8, 2017

4x6 alcohol inks on photo paper done last week using only a few colors, allowing them to mix and mingle in an abstract contemporary style. To me the composition layout resembled bursting blooms and some mature ones as well.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Friday, July 7, 2017

9x6 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper, sketched from life at our NM home. There is a large stand of daisies outside the patio. Although they were in full bloom 2-3 weeks ago, there were still enough for me to use in this impromptu painting.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Thursday, July 6, 2017

9x12 watercolor done a few days ago before leaving the mountains, where these horses were photographed at Ruidoso Downs. Larger than life they are so realistic and when painted on Canson 140 lb cold press paper using Daniel Smith pigments, one can almost believe you can reach out and feel the wind as they rush past. Sculptor Dave McGary created several horses there at the racetrack permanent display. Their colors are more soft black and white than this brown bay color I mixed with ultramarine blue and quinacridone burnt orange. The lead fellow is an Appaloosa (you can see his rump and tail). I featured this painting on Southwest/Western forum on WetCanvas monthly challenge.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

12x9 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done yesterday for the 4th of July. Painted over an ink line done with Pigma Micron 01 pen, this flower appears more pink here than red. Brief text on right side was added at the end when dry after painting very wetly.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

6.5x8.5 mixed media/wc paper, novel page, napkin, alcohol inks, Montana marker, Micron 01 pen done a few days ago. The blue green paper I glued down is actually a Wendy's napkin that was used as a blotter while doing inks. Colors were too nice to throw away in the bin. The little bird was ink sketched onto old discarded novel paper then cut out and adhered with matte medium. Orange yellow Montana marker was applied to the background. When dry I used gloss medium varnish to seal collage elements.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Monday, July 3, 2017

2.5x3.5 watercolor art card or ACEO as is more commonly known (artist cards editions and originals) completed a few days ago when I did another series of the tiny treasures. Many painters trade them or sell them and they are very neat when framed and matted to a larger size.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Sunday, July 2, 2017

30x22 torn paper collage on watercolor paper a recent redo of its former version to make certain parts more prominent. The center guy is a tall, dark and handsome fellow while the other two are more mysterious in nature, and they are the ones that got away.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Artist's Statement

"Working from dark to light provides me with immediate gratification seeing value comparisons. Whether I'm painting architectural subjects, animals, floral or still life, I am always looking for the darks first. By establishing these values early, I'm better able to judge the values that follow.

Since creating art is a solitary pursuit, I become absorbed and as one with the painting. Initial excitement usually drives me headlong into a sketching mode with or without value studies. Primarily I work from photographs.

I paint because I have to paint; I want to show you what I see. Viewing my works will be a revelation of who I am.